The central jail officials here have been accused of offering extra facilities and favours to the PLFI supremo locked here in the central jail. The jail superintendent said corrective measures are now put in place. The luxury of a room is withdrawn.
The Daltonganj central jail administration has disengaged its one extra room from the possession of an under trial prisoner Dinesh Gope the PLFI supremo. The disengagement was done on March 12 itself the day a search was conducted by the district administration said sources.
Gope was arrested in 2023 by a team of the NIA and Jharkhand police. He has 102 cases against him and carries a reward of 30 lakhs out of which reward of 5L is of the NIA and the remaining 25 lakhs of Jharkhand police.
Superintendent of the central jail Bhagirath Karjee told this correspondent "One room was allotted to Gope. Some few days ahead of the Maha Shivaratri he requested for one more room."
"He wanted this additional room for his Puja Paath as he claims to be a Shiv Bhakt." added the superintendent. Asked that it's weeks now when the Maha Shivaratri puja is over then why this additional room for Gope to which Karjee admitted "Here the staff of the jail erred. It was a mistake on the part of the jail staff to allow Gope to continue using this room. It's a lapse."
Again pestered if this continuation of facility to a hard core naxal was for his notoriety or simply for the dread of this naxal, Gope said "Our staff failed in the discharge of the duty. Today I face a barrage of allegations for catering VIP treatment to Gope."
The additional room has been emptied of his belongings. It's now under the use of the central jail reiterated Karjee. Gope is confined to his single room only with attached bathroom.
It is alleged that Gope was having one more room, totalling three, one in which he lives, one for Puja and the other for his relaxation, to which Karjee said "This is not true. It's an exaggerated allegation. He had no third room at all. He had definitely 2 rooms under his command."
"The third room is of another inmate. It's nothing to do with Gope. I reaffirm Gope had 2 rooms. He has been stripped of one room now" explained the superintendent.
The luxury of living of this PLFI supremo in the central jail Daltonganj was unearthed during the day light search of the central jail by the DC Shashi Ranjan and SP Reeshma Ramesan and others on Wednesday March 12.
Additional collector Kundan Kumar who was a part of the search team led by the DC and SP said "The two top officers discovered this favour given to Gope."
The additional collector declined to make any more elaboration saying "I was busy searching other wards then."
Karjee said "We have right now one more inmate identified as Ras Bihari Singh. He is too desperate. He picks up quarrel abruptly and without any reason."
"His tantrums and aggressions are acute. He doesn't refrain from heckling jail's security personnel. He elbows and jostles them too." said the superintendent.
He said"Once our jail security guards restrained him and he got so much enraged that when he went to appear in the court in connection with his case, he told the court a concocted story of his being roughed up by the guards."
"The court has admonished us to do anything to this inmate. The inmate has become all the more emboldened and aggressive towards the jail authorities since then when we were drubbed by the court" rued Karjee.
Karjee said "I know I will face another accusation. This inmate Singh has refused to take meals from the jail mess. He says he will die starving but will not partake jail mess food."
He said"This inmate has put a condition. It is. He will eat his own cooked food and not any such food cooked by others."
This jail inmate is too ready to create ugly scenes in the jail on any flimsy pretext reminded Karjee.
"In order to contain and restrain him I have permitted him to cook his own meals. Foodgrains and all other edibles and eatables we give this inmate. He only cooks for himself." clarified the superintendent.This jail inmate has set up his own separate hearth.
Karjee setting records straight said "It's no favour to him to have his separate hearth. It's no concession either. It's his stubborn obstinacy. He is incorrigible."
"He does not get food from outside at all. He has no such relaxation. But I am destined to hear allegations of favouritism to this inmate. I vouch my stand is to run the jail and for it such a situation is dealt with some grey areas" added the central jail superintendent.
